


These are the nights and the lights that we fade in

by somsnosa



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Adoribull - Freeform, Angst, BDSM, Doribull, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Drabbles, Fluff, JUST GUYS BEIN DUDES, M/M, Morning After, Non-Sexual Kink, Non-Sexual Submission, Pining, Sub Dorian Pavus, What could be better than this, garbage, wow this is gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-23 09:16:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6111946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somsnosa/pseuds/somsnosa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A place to put all my doribull drabbles! Enjoy these gays</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Magnets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i really like morning after fics because im a sad gay that loves fluff

A tired grunt, the crack of slowly awakening joints, the rustle of bed sheets as limbs stretch out of them - these sounds are caused by, for the most part, the weak morning sunlight streaming through the rather unfortunate holes in the ceiling.

The Iron Bull turns his head to the man beside him, careful of his wide horns, only to see Dorian Pavus already awake. Dorian's nimble fingers worked the top corner of the page that the book in his lap was open to, but his eyes seemed unfocused and his mouth was curled into a little almost-smile. Bull looked at him for a small amount of time. He enjoyed seeing Dorian like this, soft and warm, his unguarded face made of gentle angles and unusually unkempt mustache.

"Mornin', Dorian," rumbles the Bull, finally.

Dorian's eyes glance to Bull, surprised for a moment. "Good morning," he says somewhat embarrassed, the only give that he was being the slight restlessness of his hands.

Dorian had never spent the night before - and if he had, he had left before Bull woke up. Bull stretched again, careful of his knee, which had begun to ache again, and made an effort to make his expression as warm and accepting as possible. Waking up next to Dorian - seeing his silver eyes glazed over and sleepy so early in the morning...

Bull felt a warmth blossom in his chest. He hoped only to convince Dorian to stay longer, to stay again. But how?

Dorian began to fidget a bit more and, without meaning to, Bull sighed contentedly, moving his hand to rest on the other man's calf.

"Never get to see you like this..." Bull mumbled, smiling. The way Dorian's skin reflected the dull morning light... He was beautiful. "I like it."

Dorian put the book down beside him on the bed and - pleasantly surprising Bull - rolled on top of his bed-partner, who tried to ignore the pain in his knee again.

"Yes, well," said the stubbly mage. "You'll be gone for who knows how long with our dear Inquisitor, so... I'll take what I can get-"

"-while you can." Bull finished, laughing.

The way Bull felt around Dorian surprised him probably more than anyone else. He'd been attracted to Dorian since the beginning - the guy had a beauty mark, for cryin' out loud - but to think that he'd come to love him... Bull was surprised. He'd thought, before they'd begun sleeping together, that they'd mix like two explosive minerals, like gaatlok when they'd come together (pun intended), but instead, the more time they spent together, the more it seemed like they were really magnets. When Dorian was away, Bull found himself thinking about Dorian, talking about Dorian - the Chargers were getting pretty sick of Dorian, honestly. But not Bull.

"What are you going to do without me here to take care of you?" Bull rumbled into Dorian's throat, smirking.

Dorian hummed, amused, "Maybe that capable new recruit Cullen's been talking so very much about - now he is handsome, isn't he?"

Bull pinched Dorian's thigh - gently, the way you'd pinch the stem of a flower before pulling it carefully out of the ground. Dorian put a hand to the other man's face to push him away jokingly and Bull kissed the palm of the soft brown hand.

Dorian was still blushing, still looking a bit unsure of himself, but he was grinning and laughing and making the ex-Ben-Hassrath feel warm and gooey and disgustingly affectionate. This morning, Bull decided then, would definitely be considered a success.

Sitting up carefully, Bull held Dorian in his lap and tried to stretch out his bad knee without showing too much discomfort. Turning his head to the side like a curious cat, Dorian gave Bull a very serious look.

"Has your knee been bothering you this entire time?" he asked, a bit of anger coloring his otherwise concerned tone.

The Iron Bull thought about his next action very carefully. "Uh... yes?"

The mage sighed heavily, shaking his head as he got up from the bed. "I'm going to pack your things," he said firmly. "And then I'm going to massage your knee. You'll be on the road, walking on that damn thing for who knows how long! You'd do well to tell the Inquisitor about it-"

Listening to his lover trail on as he worked, Bull smiled warmly, watching the way Dorian fussed around the room. He hadn't even left yet and already, Bull was ready to come back home to this man.

What an odd thought.


	2. balance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dorian and bull have a very caring relationship ft. krem and grim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this drabble depicts a very consensual non-sexual (er, in the time of the fic, at least) bdsm relationship with dorian as sub/pet and bull as dom/master :^0 also mentions of past "violence" - a consensual caning... sorry if any of that is triggering to you! feel free to browse my other stuff - there's other non-bdsm and non-violence related things there
> 
> do i believe that this could happen in canon given dorian's history with hiding? absolutely not. did i write it anyway? i absolutely did!

It wasn’t an odd occurrence for Dorian to be put out like this, pretty on display. Most of the main circle in the Inquisition were used to seeing him at Bull’s feet, either at the Tavern or in the library, or perhaps, if one cared to visit either main in their own room, there too. It was typically rather casual, with Dorian being allowed to speak and meet eyes and do all he normally did, just a bit subdued and, of course, wearing the custom-made collar Bull had given him. Today was not one of those days, however.

The Iron Bull pushed at Dorian’s side gently where the other man sat kneeled at his feet, humming contentedly. They were in Bull’s room, today, door unlocked, guests welcome, Dorian kneeling with his back to Bull to properly entertain their guests.

They did this very rarely. Bull would card gentle fingers through his sweet pet’s hair and invite one of their more comfortable friends to play a game of cards or chess while Dorian was well-behaved and quiet.

Well, _usually_ well-behaved.

Today, for example, Dorian was behaving quite well. Lately, Bull had noticed a strain of intense brattiness and had taken the necessary steps to a better-behaved pet.

“Hush, Dorian,” Bull murmured, not unkindly. Firm, but adoring – that was Bull. “Grim and I are talking.”

Grim himself was sitting across from Bull, knocking his feet against Dorian’s knees, thigh, or occasionally side, to see him smile.

“Good boy,” the typically quiet Grim had said earlier, in greeting. He’d ruffled Dorian’s already messy hair, sat across from Bull, and immediately started up a conversation with Bull – though mostly, Grim stuck to listening and occasionally petting Dorian.

Krem was on the other side of Grim, closer to Dorian, though he showed him less attention. Krem appeared to be sewing something, a doll maybe. ‘ _A gift?_ ’ wondered Dorian, absently, but no, of course not, why would Krem be making him presents? Only Bull ever gave his Dorian presents.

“Dorian?” said Bull, a bit more seriously this time.

“Yes, Ser.” It took Dorian a bit longer than usual to realize that was his own voice in his ears. “’M sorry, Ser.”

Bull’s big hand scratched Dorian’s scalp and he fought the urge to hum again, leaning into the gentle touch.

“You’re alright, Kadan.”

Dorian’s head lulled back against the much larger man’s knee and he turned his head to nuzzle him, sighing happily against it, breath tickling the Bull’s clothed skin. Blissfully, Dorian floated.

Later, he would be embarrassed, as was his way, but for now, he was more than content. The feeling of Grim and Krem’s eyes on him made him feel pretty. Yet, also, the feeling of Krem ignoring him, of Grim not telling him what a good boy he’s being, was a good feeling, too, but… different. Not good, but _good_.

Dorian struggled not to rest his backside against his ankles as he kneeled, both sore for different reasons.

Bull liked it when he breathed deep and even, liked when he took care of himself so Bull could take care of him, too, but Dorian could feel himself growing more and more dizzy with it. Through the pleasant ache and the presence of the men around him, Dorian was having a bit of a hard time breathing evenly.

Warm, calloused hands were on him suddenly, and Dorian looked up in surprise to see Krem looking at him with warm eyes.

“You alright there, prettiness?”

Dorian buried his face in Bull’s knee again and nodded quickly. He shifted on his knees and then rasped, “Yes, Ser.”

Krem scratched behind his ear then, hushing him, and Dorian shook with it, pleased beyond measure.

Bull pulled at Dorian’s hair to get him to look at him – a nonverbal command. Dorian loved those. “You wanna sit more comfortably, pet?” said the Bull. “Kneeling like that can’t feel too good for you.”

Nodding, Dorian tries to find a way to convey his desire to sit comfortably despite the long welts left by the good few hits with Bull’s cane, as well as the accompanied thought that he deserved this hurt, wanted this hurt, did not deserve anything better than what Bull had already given him.

“It hurts,” he whined instead.

Bull laughed, leaning down to press a kiss to Dorian’s lips, his own quirked in amusement. Dorian’s heart soars and he whines again, wordlessly this time.

“Hmm,” Bull hummed against Dorian’s lips before saying, “Teach you well enough to behave, then, won’t it? Poor pretty thing, all sore.” Bull looks at him with a dark eye and a serious expression. “You’ll be good for me from now on, won’t you?”

Still feeling Krem’s hand on his neck just above the collar, Grim’s boot pressing into his side, and Bull’s strong fingers pulling through his hair, Dorian shuddered.

“Yes, Dominus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *dominus is the tevene word for 'master' i believe, or at least, in my headcanon it is... hope you enjoyed


	3. In the Dawn of My Insecurities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whaaat?? another morning after fic? i may or may not have a thing... maybe this takes place before magnets, idk
> 
> hope you like angst

Dorian’s eyes roam the horizon, gentle storm-grey irises eclipsed by thought. He touches the first rays of the day’s light with his skin, his sight, closes his eyes.

Dorian feels _lost_.  
  
More than once in his life, Dorian has been out of his element, terrified of the future, of his own desires. These desires are what carry his tired feet to the battlements, away from the Iron Bull’s slumbering form.  
  
Dorian desires the Iron Bull.  
  
And Bull desires him too. It should be simple, but, no, of course it isn’t. Dorian squints against the bright sunlight and shudders in the cold air.  
  
Dorian will not lie and say he’s never been in love. But he will not tell the truth, either – he is in love _today_. In the present.  
  
He and Bull have been casually meeting for weeks now, clawing their nails into each other’s skin, locking lips to taste the other’s desire. It’s good. Dorian shudders again. It’s _more_ than good. Bull is large and could easily hurt him, destroy him, but he only does upon being asked, and he never takes it too far. And, in the case that he does –  
  
_Katoh_.  
  
The word is heavy in Dorian’s mind, like an anchor in the ocean of his thoughts. He dreads it, and yes his heart floats. _Bull cares_ , the word says. _He cares about you_.  
  
No. Dorian shakes his head. He just doesn’t want the guilt of truly hurting you on his conscious. You cannot equate a kindhearted person to a man in love. You cannot –  
  
Dorian can’t stop himself, however. Thinking about Bull, desiring Bull, loving Bull… Is there a word that he can say, the opposite of ‘ _katoh_ ’, that will make Bull suddenly understand? The worry in his eye when _katoh_ spills from Dorian’s lips would be replaced with love and acceptance. His hands, so quick to pull away or untie knots would press further into Dorian’s skin, would tie knots truer, tighter.  
  
There are already soldiers on the battlements, doing their rounds. Dorian swallows around a heavy throat and does not cry.


End file.
